I Can Assimilate Everything

His body glowed with resplendent verdant light that pulsed outward in waves that made the surrounding Void seem less empty by comparison!

His existence hungrily devoured the Living Existential Authority of Life as if it were the rarest possible resource…and perhaps it was, given how his cells responded to its integration with fervor that bordered on obsession.

It felt like his very own cells were betraying him, refusing to listen to commands that should have been absolute.

Every particle of his being continued to devour, continued to absorb authority that was transforming him in ways he couldn't fully track or control.

When the concentration of Life thinned in his immediate vicinity…

His body flew forward uncontrollably.

He passed through the areas that should have been arduous for anyone to traverse, the Peripheral Field of Life that was supposed to take hours or days depending on one's attunement, as if no resistance existed whatsoever.

The barrier that had rejected him absolutely moments before now parted around his passage like it was welcoming home someone who had always belonged, its legs spread wide open!

His hands were reaching forward, fingers extending toward the surface of the massive cube itself as if his existence would assimilate whatever this wall comprised.

At such a point, with his existence threatening to consume things that would certainly draw consequences beyond what he could manage...

OBEY.

Achilles roared the single word of warning and immensity directly into his own being!

To his cells that were drunk on this terrifying authority, intoxicated by vitality so potent that their normal operation had been overridden by craving…he issued ultimatum!

HUUM!

It was warning that communicated with brutal clarity…if his core self did not listen, if it did not cease this uncontrolled consumption immediately, it would no longer be given anything.

He would starve his own existence before permitting it to control him rather than the reverse!

Only when such warning boomed through every particle of his being did his body finally stop.

The assimilation of Life from the surroundings ceased with abruptness that made the transition almost painful, like slamming a door on flooding waters.

Achilles breathed heavily despite not requiring respiration, his existence still buzzing with aftermath of what had just occurred.

Energy coursed through him heavily.

Living Existential Authority of Life.

Why did it have the word Living in front of it? What distinguished Living authority from the standard variety he'd encountered in other domains?

And did his existence just have its lifeforce..its fundamental vitality…seemingly quadruple just from this recent exposure?!

He had many questions racing through consciousness that was still stabilizing from the experience.

But there would be no time for answers.

At this moment…

WAP!

Near him, multiple Foldless Ones warped into existence.

Five of them now surrounded him.

Five entities whose individual power exceeded his own by factors that made resistance inadvisable!

Achilles continued pulsing with verdant glow of Life that he couldn't entirely suppress.

He maintained composure despite circumstances that would have made most entities panic, his expression revealing nothing beyond careful attention to beings who now surrounded him.

The five Foldless Ones looked at him with expressions ranging from evaluation to interest to something that might have been opportunistic calculation.

The one who had been apathetically gazing forth nearby, the guardian who had ignored his greeting while acknowledging the Magi, was now looking at him with eyes of immense interest.

His voice echoed out with commanding depth that made the surrounding Void pulse.

"A Young Living Life appearing with such an inclination toward our Living Existential Authority of Life…" he said.

"He appeared in my section as was my assignment. I trust you all will follow protocols and refrain from causing me any trouble regarding rightful claim."

...!

The entity spoke with possessive certainty.

Whatever he'd just demonstrated through his uncontrolled consumption of Life's authority had apparently elevated his status from unknown intruder to a valuable prospect deserving protection.

The other Foldless Ones who had appeared were pulsing with expressions of displeasure that made their discontent obvious despite their attempts at maintaining composure.

Their gazes tracked between the one who had claimed Achilles and Achilles himself with looks suggesting they had missed opportunity that was rare!

And then…

One by one, with reluctance that bordered on resentment, they were wrapped in terrifying verdant light of Life that surrounded their forms completely before they vanished, returning to their guardian positions.

The Foldless One who had shown Achilles nothing but apathy before now looked at him face to face with attention that felt simultaneously evaluative and welcoming.

"Young Living Life," he said, "I am certain that many circumstances must be confounding and confusing at present. But understand this with absolute clarity…whatever existence you have been leading from now onward is about to become even grander than you likely anticipated."

He paused, letting significance of his next words settle.

"It seems you are fated with Life. Whatever brought you to this location, whatever circumstances led you to our Peripheral Field…they aligned with Life's principles in ways that most entities never experience. You innately held a buddind seed of life inside of you!"

...!

Achilles listened silently to these words.

An innate inclination to life? No he fucking didn't.

But assimilation was a glorious part of him!

The brilliant verdant light surrounding him gradually calmed as he reasserted dominance over his own being, the glow diminishing from blinding radiance to gentle luminescence.

The Foldless One nodded with approval at this demonstration of self-mastery.

"I am Xar'vantheon," the Foldless One introduced himself.

"Guardian of this section of the Testing Grounds' Peripheral Field, servant of the Primordial Civilization of Life. And you are?"

Achilles met Xar'vantheon's gaze with composure that had been fully restored, purple-gold eyes pulsing!

"Adrastia," he replied. "Achilles Adrastia."

HUUM!

The name resonated through the Void with weight!

"Adrastia," Xar'vantheon repeated with approval. "Good! A name that carries weight. Let us proceed with getting you inside the Testing Grounds of Life to determine precisely how grand your inclination toward Life truly is."

His abyssal verdant eyes blazed with anticipation as he continued.

"We need to gauge your potential through standardized evaluation to see what level of Living Life you might achieve through proper cultivation. Perhaps you will amount to a Prime Living Life…a respectable achievement that grants access to fundamental teachings. Perhaps an Honored Living Life, an elevated status."

He paused.

"Or perhaps the potential of a Lifeform with the capacity to become... a Duke of Life!"

...!

With such words delivered, Xar'vantheon waved his hand.

Brilliant light wrapped around both him and Achilles, verdant radiance that felt simultaneously warm and transporting, welcoming and binding.

In the next moment, both figures vanished from the exterior of the Testing Grounds, and towards grand domains of wonder!

They left behind three stupefied Magi as Archmagus Solleth gazed at the path Achilles had taken, and he smacked his disciples as he said…

"Quick, come!"

He could feel a grand chance that he felt like if he didn't take it, he would regret it the rest of his life.

The intuition of an Archmagus was grand as he began to walk through the area where the Peripheral Field of Life had immensly thinned after being assimilated!